Keeping These Chains
by Resolve
Summary: These three children need a leader who can see underneath the surface. A leader who can see through their silent pleas for help. It just might be him if he pulls his nose out of his erotic novel.
1. Rattle the chains

A Story of Resolve.  
Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

He really did care.

It was hard to tell sometimes, with the way he acted. He knew that. He understood that he sometimes put people off with his strange mannerisms. His flippant nature. His..._questionable_...taste in literature. He was just so accustomed to being alone.

It was a comfort to him, to be surrounded by all of his friends. Of which, he had none. _Not quite desperate enough to call a little orange book my friend_, he thinks to himself. As he reads a page, a small blush forms and a giggle escapes his lips.

Well...not _yet_ anyway.

He has teammates. Allies certainly, comrades maybe, but never friends. Not again.

His first friend, no, his first true _brother _was gone, and the parting gift still drives him to the edge of insanity.

If he would take the time to describe this insanity, he would call it "that uncomfortably pleasant itch at the back of my brain." Strangely calmed in the presence of erotic literature. Fancy that. Better keep reading.

He would. He would keep reading, and more importantly, keep to himself. The last three individuals he formed a connection with all ended up dead. Not exactly an encouraging experience. His new attitude, this loner mentality, keeps people away.

Or maybe it's the porn he's waving around.

Regardless, he would stay as far away from others as he can. He won't be brought back into that social nightmare. He would not be chained down by anything. No women, no pets, nothing like that.

Hell, he was considering giving away his house plant. Sorry fern, but papa is a rolling stone.

It was just his luck really, that he would never live to get chained down by woman, pets, or needy plants.

Instead, he gets three children.

_I'm taking you off ANBU, your skills are needed elsewhere._

When he first gets the news, Kakashi begins to seriously analyze the situation from every angle. An instinct that has saved his life in the most dangerous and stressful of situations.

_You will be in charge of some new genin, three children from the academy._

**Beginning analysis... **

_You- Me. Got it._

_in charge_- _I like where this is going, sounds like a promotion._

_new genin_- _I don't like this anymore._

_Three- A number, harmless by itself._

_Children-_ _A slightly scarier word. Not only is the word child present, but it's plural as well._

_Three children- Terror. Complete and absolute horror. The only way this can end is in tears. And property damage._

**Analysis complete.**

Well...that analysis didn't do shit for him.

If being saddled with three children wasn't bad enough, Kakashi gets stuck with the students who need the most work.

_Top rookie_...Ah yes, the survivor..._impressive aptitude_...So I've heard..._lacks true understanding_...Working hard for all the wrong reasons...

..._barely passed_...His legacy?..._unique circumstances_... So, he managed to pull it off eh?..._needs discipline_...Well, I am known for my strict, unyielding schedule, after all.

..._and most studious_...Sorry, never heard of her..._lacks training_...Must be a first generation in her family..._needs to learn focus_...Oh dear god. It's boys, isn't it?

0o0o0

In front of a classroom door, stands a man lost in thought. He takes an uneven breath, trying hard to prepare himself for the dangerous encounter soon to come. His nerves are getting the better of him, and the reason is clear.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Hatake Kakashi is preparing to engage in social interaction.

He's fought in wars. Starting from a young age, he battled Rock and Cloud in scarred landscapes bereft of mercy or hope. Those were the bloodiest times in recent history. Life was not treated as something sacred. Life was expendable, a resource to be used or discarded in the name of efficiency.

Anyone that could fight was considered a soldier. Anyone that couldn't fight, well they weren't considered _anything_. One's worth was directly proportional to how many lives one took. He was worth a lot by the end of all that bloodshed. He fought in those wars, including the ones that never existed.

On an unrelated note, he has never been to the Hidden Mist before. He would like to visit the hot springs, but rumor has it that political assassinations are causing a lot of turmoil. Sounds a little too dangerous to him.

Countless battles behind him, Kakashi is a veteran, a professional Jonin, an ANBU officer of the highest rank...

…and he is scared _shitless_ at the thought of meeting three small children.

These kids have nothing to learn from _him_ of all people! What was the Hokage thinking? How could _he_ help them? What if he fails them? Lets them down? What if they become important to him? Chain him down once again? What if they swallow something poisonous? What if they poke their eyes out?

_Okay, that's just ridiculous. Calm down. These aren't children, not anymore. These are Genin, soldiers to be controlled, disciplined, and shaped into proficient killers to serve this village. Nothing more. _

Suddenly finding his fears silly, Kakashi dismisses them from his thoughts. With renewed vigor, he confidently strides forwards and puts his hand on the door that holds the new genin team.

_His_ new genin team.

His grip falters, and the fears, _those silly fears_, rush back full force.

Maybe he can wait awhile before he meets them. Yeah, that sounds good. After all, what's the rush? He can introduce himself in another hour. Give the genin a chance to get acquainted with each other.

Two hours later, Kakashi is getting ready to open the door. _It's time to get to work_.

Two more hours pass.

Kakashi can feel it. This door is about to finally meet its equal.

Then it snaps. A sudden, horrible realization. Something is definitely wrong here.

Kakashi was comparing himself to a _fucking door! _

_Screw this crap. I'm going home. _With a blur of speed and practice, Kakashi whips out his erotic literature, and turns on his heel, ready to leave.

Unfortunately, that annoying sense of duty chimes in, just as Kakashi is almost out of the academy gates. Strange, Kakashi was sure that his sense of duty was no match for the allure of lewd sexual fiction. He tries to ignore this horrible feeling, but it is to no avail.

_I need to lead this team! These soldiers are counting on me! _The next thought that crosses Kakashi's mind is almost unthinkable. _No time for porn! _

Impossibly, the once rigid book seems to go flaccid in his hand, sensing the dejection by it's beloved master.

This was quite possibly the most confusing time of Kakashi's life. In desperation, he begins to rely once more his analytical thinking skills, hopefully to find which path was the best choice. Disobeying a direct order in the name of seclusion, exile, and pornography? Or taking the responsibility of leading this team?

With great strain, Kakashi's mind begins to blur with frenzied thought. Countless possibilities, probabilities, and outcomes begin to hum behind his mismatched eyes. His mind burns through countless plans, strategies, and experiences that he has gleaned knowledge from, all in the hope of finding some strategy or insight he could use. It is with a sudden jolt of inspiration, that everything suddenly clicks together in his mind. He has found his solution.

_That's it! _Kakashi laughs to himself. _It's so_ _simple!_

With a confidence he had lacked for so long, Hatake Kakashi strides resolutely into the classroom...an hour later.

0o0o0

Uchiha Sasuke did his best to sit away from his supposed peers, trying hard to go unnoticed. He seemed to lack any desire to get to know his new teammates. In fact, he seemed quite perturbed at the idea of working with others. Sasuke was obviously ignorant of how important squads were to both mission success and individual growth. His thoughts were consumed by killing his traitorous brother. An understandable feeling. Betrayal is a lasting pain, one that can't disappear overnight. Pain can be a driving force, but only if handled the right way. He wished to handle this pain by himself, made obvious by his self-imposed social isolation. Any experienced ninja would notice behavior like this immediately.

Uzumaki Naruto seemed to be the polar opposite of Sasuke. His exile has left him starved for acceptance and acknowledgment, and his pranks are obviously used to gain attention, even if it's bad attention. Naruto just wants his existence to be validated. This is obvious to anyone who knows of his currently less than happy childhood. All things considered, Uzumaki handled things fairly well, considering the fact that he was still emotionally stable...for the most part. He obviously had plenty of self-confidence, maybe a little too much for his own good.

Haruno Sakura is obviously in search of something worth fighting for. Many first-gen ninjas are confused during this early stage in their career. Add the fact that she has self-esteem issues, and it is obvious she is experiencing an identity crisis of sorts. She is not sure where she fits in. Her affections for the Uchiha clearly represent her own desires to excel. She doubts she could achieve such greatness on her own merit, so she clings to Sasuke in the hopes that he will somehow make her a better ninja. She views him as a symbol of hope.

Or maybe she just thinks he has a cute butt. Either way, a gifted ninja would uncover the truth behind her actions.

Each of these three children need a leader who can see underneath the underneath. A leader who can see through their silent pleas for help.

The door opens. All three children turn to see. Kakashi has arrived.

But Kakashi does not see Sasuke's need to understand the importance of teamwork, nor does he see Naruto's desperate need for acceptance from his peers. And nothing about Sakura seems desperate or unsure.

Maybe he will notice when he pulls his nose out of his erotic novel.

As he opens the door, Kakashi ignores the harmless eraser that bounces of his head. Moving would simply interrupt his reading.

His genin seem disturbed by his blatant enjoyment of adult fiction. It brings a smile to his face. He has found peace. He has found balance.

He had a choice between being a ruthless team leader, or an annoying pervert.

He chose both.

If only it was that simple.

oooo

Words of Resolve:

Most likely riddled with mistakes, but I'm gonna post it anyway. An experimental oneshot that might evolve into a larger story if I can find the strength to give a damn.

If it sucks, don't hesitate to say so, just give me a reason why. It may be my first time, but some virgins like it rough.

Rawr.


	2. False Impressions

A Story of Resolve.  
Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

0o0o0

Hearing the door creak open, Naruto immediately turned around in his seat, ready to get a good look at his new instructor. _About damn time._ This guy was about seven hours late, and if Naruto had to judge by the ridiculous hair sticking out past the door, he just got out of bed ten minutes ago.

_I hope we don't always have to wait on this guy._ Naruto thought, but quickly dismissed the notion as silly. _Nah, this was probably a one time thing._

As the door opened further, Naruto noticed that his new teacher's face was concealed by a little orange book in his hand, one that Naruto remembered quite well from the old man's office desk.

Naruto still blushes from that little memory. _It's not my fault for looking._ _They really shouldn't make those books orange. It makes you think something awesome might be inside. _Though Naruto would never admit it, there were times when the contents of that book kept him up at night. Because of that erotic novel, Naruto had so many questions about the world around him. _How are babies made exactly? Can two women make a baby? Can two men? Can you catch a disease? What's a libido? Is it edible? How can a beast have two backs?_

It was pretty damn confusing.

_Thump. _

Naruto's healthy imagination was interrupted by the sweet sound of a chalky eraser hitting hair. He looked up in time to see the eraser fall from his teacher's head to the floor. Naruto mentally cheered, feeling a rush at the success of his brilliant prank. _When I think about it, Iruka-sensei never fell for that trick! And this guy's supposed to be some hotshot Jonin?_ Naruto could still see the cloud of chalky dust hanging around the man's bushy silver hair.

_Serves him right._ Naruto thought, struggling quietly to contain his laughter. Instead of laughing, Naruto just sent a victorious grin in Sakura's direction, absolutely positive that she was loving this. Instead of admiring his brilliance, he found her looking at that _bastard again_! Feeling neglected, Naruto did his best to push down that familiar feeling, and went back to admiring his handy-work. The eraser propped above the door had fulfilled it's purpose, falling directly onto his s_ensei's _head. A classic for pranksters everywhere. _That's what you get for reading porn instead of seeing your students! _

Justice served, Naruto chanced another look at the man's face now that the book was out of the way. Naruto was disappointed to see that the little orange book did nothing more than cover one eye of this guy. Just one eye? No wonder he couldn't dodge the eraser. Naruto couldn't remember all the details, but missing an eye messes up something with vision.

_Death prescription? No. that's not it. Wait! Debt perception! Yeah, that's it! He can't manage his money! No wait, that makes no sense..._

Unable to find the right term, Naruto immediately changed his course of action to something he was more familiar with.

"Haha! I can't believe you fell for that trick!"

He gloated.

0o0o0

Uchiha Sasuke was very unhappy with the current situation. Although he schooled his features to show no sign of emotion, his eyes seemed to betray him, a little anger and frustration shining through.

This was not how he had thought his genin career would start, and the first major flaw he found was in his genin counterparts. The teammates he wanted were serious, focused, and confident in their own skills. He had hoped he would end up on a team with Aburame Shino and Nara Shikamaru. Both were smart and extremely skilled, and even though the Nara lacked focus, he was still more competent then half the graduating class. He wanted teammates that could handle themselves.

Instead of a quiet, reserved Aburame, he got the polar opposite. He got _Uzumaki_. The idiot was a danger to himself and others. Pent up energy and nowhere to put it. He failed the exams several times before, and he controlled his chakra like a newborn controlled it's bladder.

That being said, Sasuke could understand and even respect Naruto's need to prove himself. While his past was a bit of a mystery, the idiot didn't deserve half the crap he had to put up with, and a little respect from fellow shinobi could change people's opinions.

The sad truth was that Naruto was just too unstable, too emotional, to be an effective shinobi.

The Haruno was another issue altogether. Completely unimpressive in almost all fields, with the exception of problem solving and academic prowess. She had high mental capacity, but she was terribly lacking in physique and combat skills. Good chakra control, but hardly impressive with such a low reserve to work with.

She seemed to have focus, but only when _he _wasn't around to really see it. Sasuke himself seemed to be the biggest distraction for her, and he honestly had no idea why. He tried his best to keep people at arms length, but that seemed to inspire some girls his age to try harder to talk to him.

It was pretty damn confusing.

Nara had a bloodline that gave him tactical strength, and an IQ exceeding two hundred. As far as Sasuke knew, the Haruno clan had no bloodline to speak of, or _anything _that could give her an edge. Nara was a genius, she was just lucky that hard work was enough for her to pass.

In the real world, hard work just isn't enough.

If his first issue was with his teammates, then the second problem just walked through the door. His new Jonin sensei has arrived. Approximately five and a half hours late, this supposed Jonin seemed very unreliable.

_Thump._

Very, very unreliable.

Sasuke watched, barely containing his surprise, as this _elite ninja _dusted off his vest with one hand, the chalk from Naruto's stupid eraser prank settling around him. His new _sensei_ slowly lowered a bright orange book from his face. _Hopefully a book of strategies and jutsu._

As Sasuke took his first look into the _eye_ of his new combat instructor and squad leader, he didn't bother to hide his displeasure. _He's missing an eye. Without depth perception, he can't accurately judge distances._

Is this some sort of joke? Uchiha Sasuke, _top rookie_, gets a hyperactive outcast, an obsessive girl with no physical attributes, and a crippled Jonin? How did this happen?

_This has to be a mistake._

0o0o0

Sakura was beginning to get nervous. Where was her new sensei? It's been five hours and twenty one minutes since the last team leader had gathered his team and left, leaving the new Team 7 alone in the academy classroom.

Team 7. _Her team. _It all seemed so surreal. There were times when Sakura felt as though she would be in the academy forever, but it had finally happened. All those late nights studying had finally paid off, and she had proven her worth! She was a ninja, _a kunoichi, _and the first ninja of her entire family, no less!

And to top it all off, she's on a team with _Sasuke_!

_Top rookie of our class! Skilled in both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu! Impressive chakra reserve and control for our age group! Has the ability to one day wield the legendary Sharingan!_

_and..._

_A totally cute butt! _Sakura fought down the blush creeping to her cheeks as the thought crossed her mind.

_Bad Sakura!_ She thought to herself. _Bad, bad! Sasuke is more than an pretty face. Don't objectify him!_

Feeling calmer already, Sakura's thoughts drifted to her _other_ teammate. Naruto.

Where to begin with Naruto? It was a question Sakura asked herself everyday since the first day of the academy.

She still hasn't found an answer.

He was loud, annoying and rude. He had no respect for authority, and his cocky attitude was bound to get him killed one day.

He also had a crush on her. One part of her liked the attention, but ten other parts of her hated the source of it. He was just so stupid and immature. He was constantly pulling pranks on people, and his brash nature was too much for any sane human being to deal with on a daily basis.

_Lucky me._

Worst of all, he was impossible to understand. _Why does he act this way? What possesses him to do these things?_

She didn't know, and Sakura _hated_ things she couldn't figure out.

She was never nice to him. She was never openly mean to him either, but she avoided him whenever possible. She gave no hint of returning his misplaced affections, but he still tried to woo her with his non-existent charms.

It was pretty damn confusing.

So lost in her thoughts, Sakura was completely unaware that her teacher had arrived. It took a sudden noise to bring her attention back to the matter at hand.

_Thump._

Sakura watched in abstract horror as the man responsible for her safety and training wiped chalk off his shoulders with one hand. Naruto's stupid prank had worked! Sakura did her best not to make eye contact with Naruto, the last thing she wanted to do was encourage him.

She chanced a quick look over at Sasuke instead, and she could tell that he wasn't too impressed with their new instructor. In fact, he seemed to be glaring pretty hard at the guy. Wondering what was so interesting, Sakura returned her attention to her new sensei.

She wasn't impressed either.

_This is our teacher? Some frizzly haired slowpoke reading a boo- wait a minute, is that...porn? Our sensei's a pervert? Things can't possibly get any worse._

The pervert lowered his filth and Sakura got her first good look at his face. Nothing but a lazy eye stared back.

Things got worse.

0o0o0

Kakashi was not sure what to expect when he walked into the room. The eraser was no surprise to him, but moving seemed like a waste of energy, so he didn't bother. Besides, he needed to finish this chapter...

_...what a naughty miko you are, Kikyo-chan! _There, done.

Besides, getting hit with the eraser would be a good way to start off his mind games. He will need to throw them off balance, make them think he is less than his reputation.

Oh what fun!

Kakashi went through the motions of cleaning off his vest, more for show than anything else. Lowering the book, Kakashi took a lazy glance at his team.

_This is strange_, Kakashi thought to himself, _they seem surprised by my appearance. Do they not know what their sensei looks like?_

Another second passes, and Kakashi begins to have a strange feeling in his gut.

_Have they not heard of me?_ The feeling gets stronger.

_Do they have any idea who I am?_ The feeling intensifies.

_No, they don't. _

All of his deeds and exploits mean nothing to this team. Out in the world, he is known as a shinobi who has learned a thousand jutsu.

In this old classroom, he's just a porn enthusiast with a missing eye.

Kakashi can finally identify that feeling in his gut.

It's hope.

Could this be a fresh start for him? An opportunity to make a different impression?

Is this his chance to remake himself into something better? Something human?

If so, where does he start?

It was pretty damn confusing.

Better make a good first impression.

"My first opinion of you three is...I don't like you."

Nice one.

oooo

Words of Resolve:

That rambling mess barely considered a chapter? Yeah, that was chapter 2.

To be honest, I'm still pulling most of this stuff out of thin air. I have a vague idea of where this might go, but nothing has really clicked yet.

The only thing I'm really sure about is the fact that it will probably be the greatest thing ever.

Next chapter will contain actual dialogue between characters! I know it sounds risky, but it's a chance I'm stupid enough to take!

-Resolve


	3. Common Ground

A Story of Resolve.  
Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

0o0o0

The afternoon sun was bright and beautiful at the north gate. Partly covered by white clouds that looked so very soft to the touch, and giving a warmth that made nature relax in the glow.

A small wind meandered through, a gift from the west sands of Suna, cooling all that it touched. Once a mighty sandstorm, now a harmless breeze. From delivering death, to drying wet clothes on wires.

Two birds crossed paths in the skies above, merrily chirping their songs and secrets to one another, before parting ways, destination unknown.

Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves, was beautiful, tranquil, serene. The picture of peace.

Then, on the rooftop of the academy, Uzumaki Naruto belched.

The sun withered and shrunk behind the clouds, the breeze became foul, and the birds never came back.

"Damn."

"Hn."

"Gross!"

Naruto crossed his arms in annoyance, a little embarrassment showing on his face. Kakashi had asked Naruto for his name, goals, talents, and Naruto had delivered. Explaining his soon-to-be position of Hokage was fun, as was explaining the pros and cons of instant ramen, but apparently belching on command was considered gross. Who would have known?

Naruto sent an indignant glare in Kakashi's direction. "You're the one who asked about my talents! If you didn't want to see that, why did you ask?"

Kakashi scratched his cheek, and after mulling it over in his head, decided that the kid had a point.

"Okay, scratch the talent part, just tell me your name, your goals, and your hobbies. I don't wanna see what freaky things you two might do." Kakashi said, motioning in Sasuke and Sakura's direction.

Sakura held her head in her hands, feeling a migraine coming on."Sensei,"she asked, annoyance evident in her voice, "can we just start over and pretend that introduction never happened?"

"But I thought we were making cherished memories together!" Kakashi responded, the smile evident in his eye.

Needless to say, Sakura did not return the smile. Kakashi sighed to himself. "If that's really what you want..." at Sakura's nod, he continued. "Okay then, let's start over."

Kakashi slowly closed his eye and went still, concentration evident on his features. His three students looked on, curious as to what their new teacher was doing. Kakashi raised his right hand and slowly massaged the side of his head, muttering strange things under his breath. After thirty seconds, Kakashi reopened his eye, greeting his students with a blank look. "Who are you again?"

Sakura bit back an angry retort. "Not funny. You know who we are."

Kakashi turned his attention to Sakura. "Nope, sorry." Kakashi shook his head. "How about you tell me a bit about yourselves? Name, goals, likes, dislikes, that kind of thing."

Two of the three genin groaned in exasperation. The third suffered silently, eyes closed and arms crossed in a bored fashion. A smile came to the masked man's face.

"We can start with Mr. Personality over here." Everyone turned their attention to the young Uchiha, waiting to hear his life story.

"...no."

"Okay then..." Kakashi responded. Sasuke relaxed his posture a bit, but went rigid when Kakashi continued. "...We'll save you for last."

Sasuke couldn't help but pick up on the ominous tone that Kakashi's statement held.

Naruto raised his hand. "Hey, Sensei! I'll go again!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage, ramen, time to cook ramen." Sakura droned, interrupting Naruto before he could repeat himself. Her head was still ringing from his first introduction, and she could still smell that foul burp in the air.

Kakashi leveled Sakura with a stare."Well young lady, since you you can't seem to wait, you can go next, so let's hear it." Kakashi supplied, ignoring Naruto's protests about not being done yet.

Sakura sat up straighter, and cleared her throat. "Well, my name is Haruno Sakura, and-"

"Sasuke, Sasuke, and anything that's not Sasuke!" Naruto interrupted, an impish grin on his face.

"Hey!" Sakura bristled. "Sensei! He interrupted me!"

"Well, you did kind of interrupt him first."

"So? He already went, remember?"

Kakashi gave her a blank look. "He already went? I don't recall that."

"Whatever!" Sakura huffed, looking away from her infuriating teacher.

After a few seconds of strange silence, Sakura turned back to see her sensei giving her an expectant glance.

"What _now_ sensei?"

"Aren't you going to correct him?"

"Umm...what?" Sakura eloquently responded.

"Naruto. He said your goal was Sasuke, your likes were...Sasuke, and your dislikes were...what was it Naruto?"

Ever helpful, Naruto responded, "Anything that's not Sasuke, sir."

"Good man." He turned back to Sakura. "So? Was he wrong?"

The blush on Sakura's face, and the fact that she looked at everything _except_ Sasuke told Kakashi all he needed to know.

"Well then. Let's move on."

Kakashi turned his attention to the last Uchiha. "Well my young friend, care to embarrass yourself too? I would hate for you to feel left out."

Sasuke looked at his two teammates, and then glanced at his new teacher, all of them waiting patiently to hear from him.

"Fine." Sasuke growled. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I have no goals beyond eventually restoring my clan, but I do have a certain mission to fulfill in the meantime, which is none of your concern. I don't have time for likes or dislikes. Everything simply _is_."

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully to himself.

Sakura looked at him in admiration.

Naruto cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What the hell does that mean?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto's question.

Naruto took this as his cue to elaborate. "Everything simply _is_?"

"Yes."

"Nothing bothers you?"

"No."

"And you don't like anything either?"

"No."

"Wait, do you mean no, you _do_ like things, or no, you _don't_ like things?"

"..."

"..."

"Yes."

0o0o0

After a less than productive introduction, the new sensei of Team 7 sent his genin home, warning them of the exercise ahead.

Naruto walked slowly through the streets, doing his best to avoid crowds, and headed towards the poorer side of town where his apartment was, scowling in thought at his sensei's parting words.

_We will be performing a rigorous survival exercise to determine whether or not you make it as official genin. You may have past academy requirements, but it is still my choice if you fail or succeed. It'll be fun, I swear! Well, for me at least._

Naruto had a bad feeling in his gut, and it wasn't just the sour milk this time. Upon reaching his complex, Naruto took the fire escape up to his unlocked window, not feeling up to the challenge of dealing with his neighbors this time.

Locking the window behind him, Naruto gave a cursory glance to his apartment, finding everything where it was, empty ramen cups and all.

Unfortunately, Naruto forget to restock on food. Feeling a little tired, Naruto decided to take a short nap first, and get some food later that evening.

Laying down on his couch, Naruto started to wonder if he could even fall asleep, with the big exercise tomorrow making him so nervous.

Hesitantly, Naruto closed his eyes.

It took him a bit longer than usual to fall asleep.

About fifteen seconds after closing his eyes, Naruto was out like a light.

0o0o0

Sitting at his small table, Sasuke ate his meal in silence, contemplating the task ahead. For the first time in a while, his mind was focused on something other than vengeance. Not only the upcoming test, but his sensei, his teammates, and that ridiculous conversation all invaded his thoughts. It was strange to be thinking about them, especially at such a crucial time.

Sasuke found strength in his desire for vengeance. The raw desire, _the need_ to honor his fallen family is what kept him going for so long.

Thinking of other things would accomplish nothing.

The exercise ahead is what he should focus on, as it was the key to becoming a genin, putting him one step closer towards completing his mission.

Blood will kill blood. His brother will die, or Sasuke will die trying.

0o0o0

Lying awake in bed, Sakura couldn't help but feel a strange sense of helplessness. Sakura knew for a fact that she lacked physical strength, and she was all too aware of her lack of powerful jutsu.

She was a brain. Sakura had come to terms with it, and tried her best to make it work for her. Her strengths were in using information to her advantage. Thus, Sakura felt helpless, confused for the first time in a long while. She has never heard of a "rigorous survival exercise" after passing the academy. She was completely in the dark on this, and Sakura feared she would be left there if she couldn't adapt to this weird new sensei she was stuck with.

_I have no control, no knowledge to help me, no past experience to learn from. For the first time ever, I can't find a book to tell me what I need._

It was almost midnight when Sakura's eyes began to droop.

She was nearly asleep, when she realized just how _little_ she actually knew.

_...Dammit. He never gave us his name. _

oooo

Words of Resolve:

Haha! I bet you thought I was just gonna quit and never update! Don't worry. I'll wait until a cliffhanger before I quit. "Leave 'em wanting more!" I always say!

Seriously, Chapter 4 is totally going to happen. It will involve characters, more dialogue, and maybe even a plot.

I'll also try to start making chapters a bit longer, I know how annoying short chapters can be, especially when the content is as awesome as this, am I right?

Seriously, am I?

Disregard any mistakes you might see, as they are not real, and you just need glasses. For those of you who have glasses, just take them off, and assume that the blurry story in front of you is free of mistakes.

-Resolve


	4. Early to rise, but always late

A Story of Resolve.  
Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

0o0o0

_Everyone dies. That's how it always ends. Be it by a blade to the throat, or breaking a hip in old age, everyone shares a common factor. We are all given a short amount of time, yet some of us are expected to accomplish a great many things. _

_We tried so hard to meet these expectations, and for what? What did I gain from serving the village? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In the end, we just proved ourselves as accomplished killers, nothing more. _

_In order to serve the village, we had to betray ourselves. We did, and came out lesser because of it. Orochimaru is a monster now, ever fearful of death, and evermore hateful of life. Tsunade lost everything and refuses to acknowledge it, hiding her tears behind drinking and gambling._

_Some say that I must have been crazy to leave, but I think I was crazy to stay as long as I did. I'm not any happier now than when I was in the village, but at least now I'm free of expectations, free of the constraints that choked me, free of the propaganda that made me think the world would stop turning if Konoha fell._

_I say that if you're gonna die, and you will, then die knowing that you followed no one's rules but your own. _

-Jiraiya, from one of his unpublished novels.

0o0o0

He sat in the dimly lit bar, with all that smoke and the stale beer.

He rarely drank anymore, but when he felt like being with people, without actually _being _with them, he went to the dimly lit bar, with all that smoke and the stale beer.

For the longest time, it was the only place he was known to visit semi-frequently. When someone needed to find Hatake Kakashi, they either went to his house, or to that dimly lit bar, with all that smoke and the stale beer.

The patrons of the bar seemed uneasy this evening. Ninja and civilian alike came to this bar as a sort of tradition. It was routine for them, a comfortable constant in their difficult lives.

They were happy to see the same faces, it gave them a sense of normalcy. Why else would they visit this dimly lit bar, with all that smoke and the stale beer? But tonight was different. Tonight was an omen if there ever was one.

Hatake was in a dark corner of the bar, in a booth with torn cushions and stains all over. Whenever he came here, he simply sat in the corner and read his book. It always confused the barkeep as to why he came to such a dimly lit bar just to read, but he never questioned it. No one did, because no one really cared before. They all just left him alone.

But tonight was different.

Kakashi was there, without his bright orange book, and this has never happened before.

As Han the barkeep nervously cleaned a glass, he could not help but glance in the shinobi's direction.

Han could literally feel the uneasiness in the air. He looked around, finally noticing his patrons' nervousness. Han could see everyone in the bar stealing quick glances at Hatake, their hearts not really in the conversations they pretended to carry. Even old man Issun's mad rantings about wolf gods and peach spirits had less feverish passion than usual.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who missed Hatake's porn. It gave them something to ignore.

What were they supposed to do with this guy now?

Kakashi stared ahead, aware but uncaring of the stares he was getting. His thoughts were on other things at the moment, such as the survival exercise he had announced, but totally forgot to actually plan or think out.

_I suppose the bell test would work, although it seems a bit cliché. _Kakashi's thoughts paused for a minute. Strangely, he could not name one good reason as to why the bell test was cliché. For reasons unknown, it just seemed like an obvious move on his part. _Wait, what am I thinking? They've probably never even heard of a bell test before! _Kakashi could easily acknowledge that it was the smartest thing to do. It's logical, and a proven test to determine their teamwork. After all, why make up some crazy idea when there's a perfectly good plan to use? _It worked just fine for us._

After the brief, one-sided mental debate, Kakashi nodded to himself, eye closed in finality. _It settled then...I'll just have to make something up. _

_I won't treat them as carbon-copies of us. It's not fair to Team 7, both future and past. Let the memories stay as memories, it's time for a new ninja._

_Assuming they pass, of course. _

Kakashi felt good about his decision, and was getting ready to devise an ingenious plan to test the grit and mettle of his genin, when he noticed that he had two hours before his bedtime, and since he didn't bring his book, he has yet to even get past chapter eight.

_Uh-oh, I can't have my evening read and plan an exercise at the same time! I'm going to have to pick one over the other._

And so, Kakashi did just that.

0o0o0

Naruto was seriously growing sick of those faces following him. At first he could ignore them, but the more he avoided them, the more he seemed to run into them.

Not only that, but it seemed that no matter which path he took, he always came back to the village square, the sun big and intimidating, yet the sky was still as dark as the blackest night.

The disembodied faces stopped their alien conversations to stare at him, judging him, hating him. Those floating faces, some he recognized, others he wished to forget, all finding him unworthy. Every time he blinked his eyes, he opened them to the sight of more faces, each one unique, yet sharing the same look of disgust, fear, and loathing.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly, trying to will those faces away.

Naruto opened his eyes, and saw his own face in front of him.

Naruto stared at his own face, awed and terrified by the malevolent red eyes that stared back.

This cruel face smiled, but there was no mirth, only a dark promise.

As the terrified boy looked at the the hateful faces surrounding him, he realized what that promise was.

Uzumaki Naruto screamed, and the cruel smile widened.

0o0o0

With a gasp of air, Naruto bolted upright, eyes wide and face sweaty. Taking a minute to calm himself and taking deep breaths, Naruto looked around the room. Feeling disoriented, he tried to forget the dream and try to regain a sense of where he was.

He looked over the small blue couch to see his bedroom light still on. _Why am I on the couch?_ Naruto asked himself, slowly getting up and stretching his legs. His stomach decided to answer him, a low growl, louder than usual in the dark silence of his apartment. _That's right! I was gonna take a nap, and then get some food! _Perking up at the thought of food, and just happy to be awake in general, Naruto looked around for his grocery list.

Peeking into his small kitchen, Naruto spotted his list next to the sink. _Hope the shops haven't sold all the good stuff like last time._ Naruto strolled casually out the door, holding his green froggy wallet in one hand, the list in his pocket. He looked around, noticing it was still dark, and there seemed to be no one around. _It's too quiet out here. _About to close his door, Naruto decided to give the clock above his fridge a quick look. What he saw surprised him.

_Holy crap! It's four thirty in the freakin' morning!_ Up until now, Naruto had no idea that four thirty in the morning even _existed!_

Naruto looked unhappily at his wallet, the frog's eyes staring back at him. Suddenly, Naruto didn't like his wallet. Naruto walked back inside, taking his wallet and list putting them both on the table. _No shops are open now, guess I'll have to go without until I finish this big test. _Naruto looked at his bedroom, his light still on, and contemplated laying back down. He headed to the bathroom first, getting sick of the feeling of sweat on him.

After a quick cold shower, Naruto went to the sink to brush his teeth. Feeling much better, Naruto felt like he could put that dream behind him and get some sleep.

That is, until Naruto looked in the mirror, and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of his own face.

As he picked his tooth brush up off the floor, Naruto glanced at his bed again, and didn't much like the idea of going back to sleep.

0o0o0

Feeling content with a job well done, Kakashi got the best four hours of sleep in a long, long time. Well rested, and ready to get to work, Kakashi decided to get an early start.

As he walked through the empty streets of Konoha's marketplace, Kakashi began to wonder if he did the right thing last night.

_Maybe I should have come up with a plan instead of reading my literature. _Kakashi mulled this over in his mind for a few seconds, and realizing that the past was the past, he forgave himself for the minor lapse in judgment. _I'm sure I'll come up with something. After all, I told them to meet me at nine o'clock this morning, so I still have about four hours before I have to see any of them._

As he turned a corner, Kakashi ran into someone barely past his waist. The kid lost balance and fell over from the impact, and shouted at Kakashi when he hit the ground.

"Hey asshole! Watch where yer goin' huh? I'm walkin' here!"

0o0o0

Naruto looked up, and was surprised to see that he had run into his teacher! Meeting his new sensei at this strange hour? What were the odds?

0o0o0

Kakashi didn't need to look down. He recognized the tone of brazen disrespect easily. It was Naruto. One of the individuals he had woken up so early to avoid, was now directly in front of him. What were the odds?

_Not in my favor, obviously._

0o0o0

"Why are you up so early?"

Naruto looked up from where he was dusting his orange pants off, and just shrugged his shoulders in a non-committal gesture. Kakashi sighed in annoyance, and spoke once more.

"The test doesn't start for a few more hours, you should be resting up for it instead of causing trouble, Naruto."

Naruto returned Kakashi's words with a scowl. "I ain't done anything wrong out here, ya jerk! And I don't feel like sleeping right now anyways."

Kakashi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his almost-student.

"Bad dreams keeping you up or something?"

Upon saying that, Kakashi mentally braced himself for a very immature, very loud response. So it's understandable that Kakashi was completely thrown for a loop by what Naruto actually said.

"...Yeah."

Kakashi looked down at Naruto, surprise evident in his eye, but Naruto didn't seem to notice. The young boy seemed to stare right through him, eyes vacant and lost in thought. Kakashi started to wonder what he should do, when Naruto finally broke the silence for him.

"Hey, sensei."

"Uhh...yeah?"

"Thanks for wearing a mask."

"Uhh...sure thing. Anytime."

With that, Naruto put his hands behind his head and started smiling again. He seemed to brighten up very quickly.

If he took the time to describe it, Kakashi would compare it to turning on a light switch.

"So, what's this exercise all about anyway? Are we gonna kick some ass, or is this like a written thing, because I don't like written stuff."

A very annoying light switch.

"Oh! I know! We're gonna go into the woods and fight bears and shit!"

One that he can't turn off.

"Or maybe we'll go on a road trip! Yeah! Let's go on a ass-kicking road trip!"

Sick of his ranting, Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's mouth, muffling his words, and effectively gaining the boy's attention. After the boy was done spitting on his glove, Kakashi lowered his hand to get a word in.

"Sorry, but I can't tell you right now Naruto, you'll have to wait until everyone is together first."

"Well, since half of the team is up already," Naruto responded, gesturing to himself and Kakashi, "why don't we go ahead and get the others so we can start this thing?"

"I guess you have a point there." Kakashi said. '_Might as well get this farce over with.'_

And so, they walked down the street, heading towards their teammates, and their destiny.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"How about you go on ahead and get Sasuke and Sakura, while I get things ready? After you get a hold of them, meet me at the bridge near Ichiraku in half an hour. Understand?"

"Right! No problem!" And with that Naruto sped on excitedly towards his teammates, and his destiny.

All alone in the streets, Kakashi smiled to himself and turned in the direction of his house.

"Sucker."

oooo

Words of Resolve:

See there? Did you see that? _Things_ happened. And brace yourselves, _more things_ are gonna happen in later chapters!

I stuck some Jiraiya in the top of this thing. Don't ask why, I don't know. But expect more.

The bit about the bell test being cliché is just a little jab at all those stories I read that follow the bell test _word for word._ It's just so worn out. If you're not gonna change anything, then just skip it altogether.

If it's not clear, Naruto was glad for Kakashi's mask because he didn't see Kakashi face, so he wasn't in that nightmare.

This will be AU, the big changes will come as soon as I think of them.

Mistakes will be fixed as I recognize them, and I can only recognize them when it's published, and available for others to mock and insult. Go figure.

I'm about three chapters too late for some of these, but thanks to Joyeu, Nightmother, and greengirl6 for their reviews.

Reviews are not demanded, nor are they expected. But they certainly are appreciated.

Next chapter!

Naruto annoys people, Sasuke says very little, Kakashi is late, and Sakura does whatever the hell 12 year old girls do.

Oh yeah, and **SOMEONE DIES!**

...No, not really, but someone _does_ get a stern talking to!


	5. The Breakfast Club

A Story of Resolve.  
Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

0o0o0

Given the task of retrieving his teammates, Naruto decided to go get Sasuke first, for once thinking very clearly about his course of action. Even though Sasuke lived farther away than Sakura, Naruto was smart enough to realize that if he should show up at Sakura's house at six in the morning, things would not end well.

Naruto also realized that Sasuke was not terribly fond of Sakura's advances. Well, neither was Naruto, but that's beside the point.

The point being, that Sasuke would rather deal with him than Sakura, and Sakura might not beat him to a pulp if he brings Sasuke to distract her...

0o0o0

Taking a sip of his orange juice, Sasuke was just putting bread in his toaster when he heard a knock at his door. Slightly upset at the intrusion on his morning ritual, Sasuke walked from his small kitchen and went to the front door.

Reaching the locked door, Sasuke leaned in close, and repeated his favorite phrase for visitors.

"If your selling, I'm not buying. If your looking for donations to your organization, I'm not giving. If you are in danger of dying and you need medical attention, there's a hospital down the street. If you are homeless, and need food, there's a shelter two blocks past the old library. If you are from a prestigious clan, and wish for me to marry one of your heirs, I'm not selling. If you fit any of those criteria, please leave now, or I will call ANBU to escort you off the premise."

Surprisingly enough, Sasuke got a response other than the sound of retreating footsteps.

"What the hell's a criteria? Open up Sasuke!" Upon recognizing that voice, Sasuke replied.

"...no."

"C'mon man! There's been a change in plans! Open the door!" It seemed Uzumaki was as stubborn as ever, and would not leave him to his breakfast.

Repressing a sigh, Sasuke cracked the door to see Naruto standing there, looking as if he could barely contain himself. "What the hell are you talking about Naruto? Why are you here?" Sasuke asked, opening the door wider.

"I ran into our new sensei, and we're going to start this exercise thing a little earlier." Naruto casually shoved Sasuke aside and walked inside, taking no time at all in making himself comfortable on Sasuke's couch. "He told me to get you and Sakura and meet up at the bridge near Ichiraku."

"Good, the sooner the better." Sasuke responded, deciding to let Uzumaki's intrusion slide this time. He was looking forward to showing this supposed Jonin what the Uchiha were capable of. Sasuke took another glance outside the door, then around Naruto. Something was missing. It was much too quiet. Or at least as quiet as things can get with Uzumaki around.

"Where's Haruno?"

Naruto smiled and put his hands behind his head. "Still asleep probably. I sure as hell ain't wakin' her up by myself!"

"So that's why you came here first? So I would be there too, so that she might not beat you to a bloody speck? You only came here first to use me for your own devices?"

"Yup, pretty much."

Normally, Sasuke would be offended, but for once, he was actually sort of impressed. Uzumaki didn't seem like the type to think ahead...or think at all for that matter. It seemed that despite all the evidence to the contrary, Naruto did in fact have brain activity.

0o0o0

Naruto could see Sasuke in pensive thought.

_'The poor guy must be having a hard time wrapping his head around my strategy.'_ Naruto thought. '_It must be difficult, realizing just how much I rock. Hell, at first even __**I **__had trouble understanding just how much of a winner I am!'_

"Hurry up Sasuke! You can admire my brilliance later! Let's go get Sakura before-

_-POP-_

Naruto stopped mid-sentence, and sniffed the air. "Sweet! We havin' toast?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a dead serious expression and asked, "Why the hell should I feed you?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a dead serious expression and replied, "Because I can't eat and talk at the same time."

"Please, help yourself to some toast."

While Naruto stuffed his face with toast and drowned himself in Sasuke's sweet, sweet OJ, Sasuke went to his room and quickly gathered his supplies.

_Kunai? Check._

_Ninja Wire? Check._

_Soldier pill? Check._

Sasuke was interrupted by a loud belching noise originating from the kitchen.

_Earplugs? Check._

Ready to go, Sasuke came out of his room and saw Naruto waiting at the front door. "Left you some toast on the table." Sasuke simply nodded and went into the kitchen, took two huge bites of his own toast and a swallow of orange juice, and headed out the door. After taking a moment to make sure all his locks were in place, Sasuke turned to see Naruto impatiently tapping his foot. Seems the moron was ready to go.

Hesitantly, Sasuke glanced at Naruto and asked, "Hey, do you have any idea of what this exercise is?"

Naruto scratched his chin, a gesture that Sasuke was sure made Naruto think he looked intelligent. It didn't work of course, it simply made him look...itchy.

"I'm almost completely positive that it involves kicking ass."

Sasuke barely resisted rolling his eyes at Naruto's silly response.

"Don't be ridiculous Naruto. _Of course _it involves kicking ass."

Boys will be boys.

0o0o0

Locating Sakura's house was not difficult.

Naruto himself has passed by her house many times before on his way home from the academy.

Even Sasuke remembered her talking about her home when they sat next to each other in third grade.

He remembered that time quite fondly.

_It was the first year of the academy, and being eight years old, she had no real interest in boys. They thought he had cooties, when in fact, it was they, the female populace, who were teeming with the powerful and nonexistent cootie virus._

Those were happier times...

...Then Itachi struck, puberty struck and Sasuke's life got a lot more complicated...

...To get back on point, it was no issue at all finding Sakura's house.

Waking Sakura however, was a different story all together.

0o0o0

"Well, we're here."

"Hm."

"Time to go get Sakura."

"Indeed."

"Time to...wake her up."

"Yes."

"From her bed. Where she is sleeping."

"So it would seem, Naruto."

"Uhh...Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Which room is Sakura's?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto as if he was crazy. "How the hell should I know? I've never been to her house, idiot!"

Naruto closed his eyes in annoyance for a few seconds, opening them as he responded, "Well I thought you would know where her room was!" Sasuke gawked at Naruto's bold statement, fighting the small blush on his cheeks.

Barely keeping his voice in check, Sasuke loudly whispered, "Dammit Naruto! Why would you think that?"

"She's always coming on to you, right? So I figured she might have given you directions for a secret rendezvous!"

Sasuke just stared at Naruto in disbelief, before regaining his bearings. "Naruto, do you even know what a rendezvous is?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto casually, and quite loudly, replied, "Nope, all I know is that Sakura probably wants one with you, seeing as how I read it in a dirty sex novel."

"Okay Naruto, you can stop now, I know which room Sakura is in."

"Aha!" Naruto shouted. "I knew it! You and Sakura are like a beast with two backs!"

Sasuke just stared at Naruto some more. It was quickly becoming a hobby of his.

"Okay, first of all, what the hell does that even mean?" Upon getting no answer, Sasuke continued, "Secondly, That's not how I figured out where her room was..." Sasuke trailed off, pointing his finger in the direction of Sakura's house.

Wordlessly, Naruto's eyes followed the direction Sasuke was pointing, and sure enough, he too found out which room was Sakura's.

The window was open, and the lights were on.

A very sleepy, very disheveled, very angry Haruno Sakura leaned out the window, glaring at the two boys with enough anger to kill a puppy from a distance.

0o0o0

Somewhere, a young white pup called Akamaru whimpered in his sleep. Fortunately for him, the Inuzuka compound was just barely out of range of Sakura's puppy-killing anger.

He didn't die. But he totally pissed on Kiba's bed sheets.

Not cool.

0o0o0

The hate was so strong, so potent, Naruto felt his stomach rumble with uneasiness, and for a moment, he thought he heard the echo of evil laughter.

Sasuke was frozen. There were no words to describe what he felt. Sasuke simply stared. It was all he could do. His keen eyes barely sensed the malevolent pink..._aura_ surrounding his female teammate. He would never look at pink the same way again.

Then, to Naruto's horror, and Sasuke's disbelief, this otherworldly creature spoke in the human tongue.

Although her words were quiet, and they were twenty feet apart, they were still able to hear clearly, as if they were standing right next to her.

"Which one of you woke me up?"

oooo

Words of Resolve:

A little shorter than I had hoped to make it, but I think that Naruto and Sasuke's complete and utter destruction at the hands of Sakura would be a great start to the next chapter.

Anyway...

Next chapter, we discover what Kakashi has in store for our intrepid young adventurers!

Only thing I have to do is...well, decide what that **is** exactly...

Rest assured, it will not involve drugs, hookers, or drugged up hookers.

I have to put the M rating on first...

ANYWAY...

You may have noticed that Sasuke isn't a complete and total dick. Yeah, your welcome. Instead of turning a character I don't like into a bash-dummy, I've decided to make him into something that I **do** like. Don't get me wrong, Sasuke will still be a total dick. I just plan on making him an **awesome** total dick. You will love Sasuke, and when people ask you why, you'll say: "Because he's a dick!"

That is all.


	6. Smooth Criminal

A Story of Resolve.  
Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

0o0o0

When she was very young, Sakura was like most toddlers, and was able to play with fellow children regardless of gender. There were no such things as cooties, and farts were freakin' hilarious.

Fast forward a few years later to age seven, and we would find a Haruno Sakura quite biased against those stupid boys with their cooties and farts. There were a few good ones, but the male gender was obviously missing a chromosome.

Meet her again at age twelve, and she would tell you to shut up about such embarrassing things. It's funny, isn't it? You never think you'll like the opposite sex.

Then puberty strikes, and all that talk about never liking them sounds silly. Unless of course you play for the same team, in which case you were right all along.

Sakura is going through some changes right now, and while there are details that will be tastefully overlooked for the sake of others, it can be understood that Sakura is experiencing changes in temperament, personal growth, and attraction to the opposite sex.

It's a very confusing time for her, so she has been having a little trouble lately keeping her impressive temper in check. It would be very unwise to get on her bad side right now.

0o0o0

_Meanwhile, on Sakura's bad side..._

"Which one of you woke me up?"

It was no surprise when Sasuke casually pointed a thumb in Naruto's direction. To be honest, the second she woke up and laid eyes on Naruto, she already knew he was somehow responsible.

"Why the hell are you guys here so early?"

Sakura looked down at Sasuke and Naruto impatiently, waiting for one of them to explain why they were waking her up so early. Naruto cleared his throat, as if he was about to speak, when Sakura sent him a message with her eyes.

'_Choose your next words carefully, or they'll never find the body.'_

Sakura watched in slight amusement as Naruto seemed to get her message, before turning and whispering to Sasuke. Sasuke closed his eyes, but to Sakura's surprise, he seemed to whisper something back at Naruto. Apparently, whatever Sasuke said struck a nerve in Naruto, as he began shaking his head and started to whisper louder and gesturing wildly with his hands. Sakura strained to hear what they were saying, but found that the roof of the single story shop they were standing on was a little too far away.

Sick of their bickering, Sakura loudly cleared her throat, and was pleased to see the boys stop whatever the hell they were doing to look at her. "Get inside, both of you, so you can properly explain what you're doing here." It was with one quick, fluid leap that Sasuke landed in a crouch on her window sill, the wind ruffling his loose clothing and hair in a totally badass fashion. She could see the stars and the fading moon behind him, giving his pale features an ethereal glow as his dark eyes penetrated her very soul.

Sakura had a dream about this once, but that dream usually didn't include Naruto jumping right behind Sasuke and saying, "Move over pretty boy, you're hogging the window." If she were dreaming, this would be the part where she screamed. With the moment effectively ruined, Sakura got right down to business. "Well, what's the deal here?"

And with that, Naruto and Sasuke began to explain their sensei's change of plan. She already knew Naruto was somehow responsible.

0o0o0

Walking down the streets, Kakashi watched as the village began to come alive. It's been awhile since Kakashi was in town this early, and even though he would never admit it, there was a certain pride he felt from seeing the villagers thrive and prosper. After all, isn't this what he fought for? The safety and happiness of all these people?

Kakashi observed two young boys and as they ran past him, one of them screaming and laughing as they chased each other down the street. As soon as they passed by, Kakashi heard something small hit the ground. He looked down to see a small wallet laying near his foot. He looked back just in time to see the two boys turn down an alley and out of sight.

Kakashi just stood there, staring at the wallet on the ground. _'It's not my problem.' _Kakashi thought to himself _'This will teach them not to be careless.'_

After a few more seconds, Kakashi suppressed a sigh as he kept on walking, the wallet no longer on the ground.

0o0o0

Sasuke and Naruto looked around nervously at the room they were in, feeling unfamiliar with all the frills and lace that a girls room was capable of having.

Both of them sitting on the foot of her bed, Naruto leaned in next to Sasuke, and whispered loudly, "Psst. Hey. Sasuke."

Sasuke looked away and crossed his arms, "I'm not gonna talk to you, Naruto. I'd rather not push Haruno any further than she already is, and everything that comes out of your mouth seems to serve no other purpose than pissing her off."

Naruto frowned, "But Sasuke, somethings definitely wrong here! Can't you see? I mean, look at all those pillows on her bed! It's unnatural I tell ya!" Sasuke's eye twitched as he barely contained the urge to strangle Naruto right then and there.

"Naruto," Sasuke ground out between clenched teeth, "I highly doubt something like pillows should freak out any self-respecting ninja, so please just stop looking at-" Sasuke's rant stopped mid-sentence as he too took in the view of all those pillows on Sakura's bed.

"Wow. Look at all the pillows." Sasuke whispered to himself, then turned to Naruto with a grave look in his eyes. "No one needs this many pillows. Pillows are for comfort, yet there are so many pillows here, I doubt she can get comfortable at all."

"I know, right?" Naruto responded, the fear evident in his voice, "Sasuke, what exactly are we dealing with here?"

"I don't know Naruto. I just don't know."

"Hey Sasuke."

"Yeah?"

"Pillow fight!" Naruto raised a heart shaped pillow above his head, ready to strike the last Uchiha down.

Sasuke just smirked. "You wanna think this through for a second?" Naruto paused, the frilly pillow still poised and ready to strike like a deadly, venomous, ...pillow.

Naruto slowly lowered the frilly heart. "Yeah, I guess you're right, it's probably best just to sit still and wait until Saku-" That was as far as Naruto got before Sasuke swung the Hello Kitty pillow he had concealed behind his back.

All hell broke loose.

0o0o0

After leaving Sasuke and Naruto in her room, and threatening violence if Naruto so much as breathed loudly, Sakura wearily headed down stairs to quickly and quietly gather her supplies.

_Jeez, what's the big idea starting this thing so early? _Sakura thought to herself. _I hardly slept at all last night, and now I don't have time to fix something to eat. Even worse, I don't know what type of exercise this is, so I don't know what type of supplies I should bring. _

Sakura opened the door to the supply room near the stairs, and rubbed her eyes as she looked through the packs she had already made long beforehand. _I sure am glad I thought so far ahead, but which one do I take?_

Sakura picked up one of her lighter survival packs and looked inside. _Not much here. No tags, and no food either. Who knows how long this thing will last? This sensei of ours is obviously more than he seems, or he wouldn't have been so secretive. He's a Jonin for a reason. I need to be prepared for anything._

Sakura put the small pack back where she found it, and looked around a bit more, before she finally found what she was looking for.

"Oh yes." Sakura whispered to herself, a smile quickly forming. "If this doesn't work, nothi-" That's as far as Sakura got before she heard a loud thump coming from upstairs, followed by the sound of Naruto's voice.

0o0o0

Kurama looked on in exasperation at his little brother, wondering when he would make up his mind. They were the ice cream vendor's first customers of the day, but Shuichi just kept staring at all the different flavors of ice cream. "Pick one already, Shu!" Kurama said, grabbing his little brother in a playful headlock. Shuichi struggled to get out, but found that his six year old arms were no match for Kurama's. He wasn't helpless however, and Kurama relinquished his grip when he saw Shuichi getting ready to bite him on the arm. "Okay, okay." Kurama said, letting Shuichi go, "But hurry up, Dad is waiting for us to get back, and if we take too long, he won't trust us with the wallet anymore!"

Shuichi nodded, understanding all too well how uptight their father could be, and then went right back to staring at all the flavors. Finally, Shuichi pointed at his flavor of choice and Kurama's smile returned. "Finally," Kurama looked at what Shuichi had chosen, and barely repressed a sigh. "Plain vanilla?" Kurama asked. "All that thought and you chose regular old vanilla?" Shuichi simply nodded once more.

"Alright then." Kurama said, before turning to the smiling vendor. "Alright! One vanilla, and one double scoop mint chocolate chip with nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and one of those little umbrellas that you see in drinks."

The vendor bit back a laugh at Kurama's extravagant order. "While I admire your style," The vendor responded with mirth in his voice, "I regret to inform you that we're fresh out of umbrellas." As the vendor turned to make their ice cream, Kurama reached into his shirt to grab the wallet, only to make a very ominous discovery.

_'Where is it!' _Kurama thought, starting to panic as he checked all over himself for the wallet.

Shuichi looked on, curious as to what his older brother was doing, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Shuichi turned around to see a tall man with silver hair jutting haphazardly from his head, his face almost completely covered by a mask and headband.

Realizing that this man was a ninja, Shuichi was about to get his brother's attention when the man pointed down near Shuichi's feet. Looking down to see what he was pointing at, Shuichi was a little startled to see Dad's wallet laying on the ground.

By the time Shuichi picked up the wallet, the ninja was nowhere to be found.

After they had their ice cream, Kurama made Shuichi pinky swear not to tell Dad that he dropped the wallet. Shuichi thought it was kind of silly, asking him not to do something he couldn't do in the first place, but the promise was made nonetheless.

Shuichi also made a promise to buy that ninja an ice cream someday. It was the least he could do.

oooo

Words of Resolve:

Another one bites the dust! Well, here I am! Resolve is back in business! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because I have been working on it nonstop for roughly 8000 hours. For reals...

….Okay fine, I've been playing Street Fighter 4 this whole time. And I've learned a lot from playing online.

For example: TIGER SHOT! TIGER SHOT! TIGER SHOT! TIGER SHOT! = KO.

God, I hate Sagat. Wait, that's not fair, let me rephrase it: I have heavy disdain for those individuals who play with Sagat exclusively, simply because winning is easier. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only guy who plays as Vega, or Rose, or Gen, or any character that doesn't have a down+forward+punch.

Don't take me too seriously, I'm just a sore loser. (Sagat? Moar like Fagat lol)

I've also taken a liking to Team Fortress 2. Even though I'm stuck on the 360 version, I'm having a good time. Damn those spies and their infinite sappers!

I'm naming this chapter Smooth Criminal, after a Micheal Jackson song of the same name.

Next Chapter!

I intend to finally let you guys see what Kakashi's gonna do for their test. No lie.

Also, **SOMEONE GETS A STERN TALKING TO!**

Not really, but someone _does_ die!


	7. All she can give

A Story of Resolve.

Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

0o0o0

_Laying in the hospital bed, the young jounin, for the first time in his life, feels something like regret. Strange, it's such a nostalgic feeling. Perhaps he has felt it somewhere before. He begins to think back to where he felt regret before._

_His father comes to mind._

_Laying in the hospital bed, the young jounin no longer wishes to think about his father, or anything for that matter. Although young, his bones are weary, and his cold heart has become so very brittle, ready to break at any moment. _

_He can hear his heart pumping so loudly that it drowns out the organized chaos outside his hospital room._

_He can feel his heart pumping so painfully that it pulsates through his entire body, struggling to replace what was lost._

_He doesn't like the intense pain he feels with every breath, it's keeping him awake..._

_Laying in the hospital bed, the young jounin no longer wishes to lie to himself, and so, he is truthful. _

_The pain, while intense, does not keep him awake. _

_The sound and feel of his erratic heartbeat does not prevent him from sleeping._

_The memory of his father can't make him restless anymore ._

_It's how **he** isn't there to cause noise and keep the jounin awake. It's how **she** isn't fretting over the jounin's wounds, and telling **him** to shut up so the injured can rest. It's the foreign object lodged in his right eye that keeps him up. It doesn't hurt, not really. Kakashi can't sleep because it's **there,** and it simply shouldn't be._

0o0o0

Quickly and quietly, Sakura made her way back upstairs, praying to whoever would listen that her parents weren't awakened by the loud noises that just came from her room. She hear her heart beat loudly as she stopped to listen for her parents moving around. Thankfully, she heard nothing. Letting a sigh of relief escape, she thanked whoever heard her prayer. She would rather avoid having to explain the situation if she could. No matter the reason, having boys in her room at this hour was unacceptable, and the odds of her explaining it to her dad before someone got hit by a lead pipe were less than promising.

_'Honestly, what was I thinking?' _Sakura thought to herself. _'As if Naruto could keep still for more than three seconds.' _

Upon reaching her door, Sakura took a deep breath, and opened the door. She expected Naruto must have slipped on something because he was clumsy. Or maybe he dropped something heavy and was worried that Sakura might kill him. She would, naturally. She told him to stay put, and it's obvious he didn't...

Sakura stared at the two young men waiting patiently at the foot of her bed, in the exact same position she left them just a few short minutes ago.

As if Sakura would honestly fall for that.

"Naruto, what was that noise I heard?" Sakura asked, her voice sounding so very, very sweet.

As if Naruto would honestly fall for that.

"Why Sakura, I have no idea of what situation you are inquiring upon." Naruto replied, sounding for all intents and purposes like the consummate gentlemen.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. '_I bet Naruto has no idea what he just said.' _After some seconds of staring, she began turning to Sasuke to ask him, when she saw her clock out of the corner of her eye. Barely suppressing a sigh, Sakura let the matter drop. "We don't have time for this, we should go ahead and meet our sensei early so we make a better impression."

Sasuke nodded, "The sooner we get started, the better."

"Okay then," Sakura responded, "I'll catch up to you two at the bridge in a little while, I need to finish gathering a few things."

The boys began to take their leave and headed out the window. After Sasuke jumped, Naruto was about to make his leap too when Sakura said in a quiet whisper, "This isn't over. I will find out what happened up here." Naruto just shrugged his shoulders.

"What makes you think it was me?" he asked, that impish smile forming as he spoke. "Maybe I'll tell you what happened later, but it's gonna cost ya! A night on the town, you 'n me, wadduya say?"

Naruto didn't need to leap from the window, Sakura's foot propelled him quite well, and the ground did a good job of breaking his fall.

Well, it _would_ have if he didn't fall flat on his face.

_'Seriously', _Sasuke thought, watching the two, _'who the hell decided this was a good team?'_

0o0o0

_Standing before his sensei, the genin looked at his new teammates with disappointment. _

_So much hard work put in, and he somehow ended up on the most mismatched team he has ever seen._

_The Uchiha is loud and obnoxious, his very behavior contradictory to the profession that he claims as his own._

_The orphan girl, Rin, is too naive, too concerned with others and not enough with her own improvement. She has yet to put her career above all things._

_And then there is his Sensei, as naive as the orphan girl and twice as loud as the Uchiha._

_There must be some mistake._

0o0o0

After the boys left, Sakura headed back downstairs to the supply closet. Knowing that there was no chance of being interrupted again, Sakura made her way to the very back of the closet to where she put her very first supply kit. She made it when she was nine years old. All of the academy students were given an assignment back then to make a field survival kit at home to show the class the next day.

She had no real concept of how dangerous missions would be, and had only planned to put some bandages and snacks in it. She would have probably left it at that, but as fate would have it, her parents heard about the little project from Ino's dad. While the very thought of their daughter _needing _a survival kit made them shiver, the Harunos simply refused to let their child go anywhere without _anything and everything _she could possibly need in any practical or unpractical situation.

Thus, the Haruno Survival Kit was created. Iruka-sensei would have given her an A+, but he said that it was important that you only pack what you can carry, and her nine year old frame barely lifted it off the floor. She got a C at first, but it went up to B+ after she fixed the squeak in Iruka-sensei's chair, replaced a blown light bulb, and helped the Hokage create peace between two warring nations.

The last one was an exaggeration, but still, that was one handy survival kit.

"Oh yes." Sakura whispered to herself, a smile quickly forming. "If this doesn't work, nothing will."

0o0o0

She held the urn in her hands as she shakily climbed the stairs to the mission requests room. She could have called, or sent a notice, but that wasn't how she did things. She gripped the urn a little tighter to her chest. That wasn't how _they_ did things. He always loved to say, _"If it's worth sayin' then ya gotta say it face to face!"_

He loved talking to people. He loved seeing people and saying goodbye. He loved the kids who came to visit after academy classes ended.

She couldn't give him kids, and part of her never forgave herself. She loved him so much, with his hoarse laugh and terrible jokes, and they tried so hard to have kids. By the time they considered adoption, they realized how _old_ they were, how frail and tired they began to feel. She knew that he never blamed her though. They never knew if it was he who was barren, or her. Neither could stand the thought of asking. It was better not knowing.

And so her Hideo died, and as he wished, she would take him back to where he was born.

Makunoichi Hideo would sleep on the waters of Kunisaki.

0o0o0

A tan young man with a scar across his nose looked up from his papers. His tired smile of greeting turned to recognition and understanding upon seeing the urn.

She smiled back at him, and began to speak.

0o0o0

Mission status: Accepted.

Mission Parameters: Escort of Mr and Mrs. Makunoichi to Kunisaki, Oita Prefecture. Five day journey. Possible encounters with Bandits

Mission Rank: C

Assigned team: Pending. Volunteers acceptable.

oooo

Words of Resolve:

Well, now you know what Kakashi plans to do to test them, right? Impressed? I bet you are. I sure as hell am.

ANYWAY...

Sorry it took so long, but I can explain! I have a job now.

See? Explained.

So read it and enjoy. You can even review, if you're into that sorta thing. Please, don't be afraid to point out mistakes. A little feedback is always appreciated.

Update: I've just re-uploaded all the chapters with new scene breaks. Here's hoping these STAY PUT.

Next Chapter!

Whatever the hell I feel like writing!

( It's a secret!)

Should be coming soon. I finally have that urge to write. Feels good man.


	8. Invitation to a Pity Party

A Story of Resolve.

Nothing to gain, nothing owned.

* * *

Adjusting the small pack on his shoulder, the old shinobi slowed to a stop in the middle of a crowded marketplace. People were avoiding him, some telling him to move, but he ignored them as he stared at the entrance to a small restaurant called Ginsei's Pub. Even though he had never been through this part of Rain country, he felt a wave of bitter nostalgia creep through his bones, almost giving him goosebumps.

He had a lot of ground to cover. It would be weeks before he was at his destination. He wasn't tired, thirsty, or hungry, and he had plenty of supplies. No reason in the world for him to stop. Taking a whiff of the air, he felt a chill travel down his spine.

Only two people in the world were capable of making him feel this way.

He entered the restaurant called Ginsei's and prayed for fortune to be on his side. He slowly panned the room with his experienced eyes, the small bustling restaurant vibrant with the lunch-time rush. So many civilians, so many possible casualties. His shoulders relaxed when he was able to clearly visualize her energy. Fortune seemed to favor him this day. It was the lesser of two evils. He turned to leave, but hesitated.

It was impossible to just ignore her, sitting at that corner table surrounded by empty sake jars. Besides the fact that she was stunningly beautiful, her chakra signature was almost intoxicating. Even in this bustling crowd of mercenaries and ninjas, she stuck out like a sore thumb. There's a reason she could never go on undercover assignments back when they were jounin. She had this unmistakable glow of vitality about her that just couldn't be suppressed. Even people who have never seen her, or heard the legends about her felt that she was something other than mortal, other than human. People were drawn to her in the same way that moths drew themselves to the flame.

He was also pretty damn sure that the cleavage hanging out also caused some stares, but maybe that was just the author inside him looking for inspiration.

It was impossible to just ignore her. Not just because she was tremendously drunk, or the fact she was still tremendously beautiful. It went beyond that.

They had history. Maybe a bit too much history. He had no doubt that she would ignore him if he was the one at that table, drinking the memories as deep down as they can go. She would refrain from getting involved. She'd turn around and leave as soon as she spotted him.

But he wasn't as strong as she was.

"Drinking these people out of business again I see."

"Fuck you." She kept her back turned and her eyes on her drink.

"Sorry, I'm not really into milfs anymore. If you'd kept up with my literary growth as an author, you'd know that."

If she was as drunk as he thought, then she would let the comment about her age slide. If she wasn't as drunk as he thought, then she would beat him within an inch of his life...

_...again._

"What do you want?" The misery in her voice was palpable.

The mountain hermit released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Looking at the cushions around her, he saw no indents from where anyone else had been sitting with her.

"You're alone here? Where's Shizune?" Jiraiya asked, silently berating himself for not realizing her absence sooner.

Tsunade slammed the sake cup on the table. "How the hell should I know!" Her angry face quickly turned haggard, the bags under her eyes were clearly visible when Jiraiya moved to the other side of the table to face her. As soon as he got a good look at her, however, the legendary healer lowered her head to rest on her arms. The two individuals were silent. It was obvious that Tsunade did not want him around, and he honestly believed the more he got involved, the more messy things would be for him in the long run.

_Plop._

The sound of a body hitting a cushion got Tsunade's bleary eyes to peak out from her arms, and she saw the old pervert helping himself to some of her sake.

"I don't want you here." She said.

"Of course you don't." The old man said as he sipped the lukewarm alcohol.

"I don't want your help." She said.

"Of course you don't." The old man said as he traced the rim of his empty cup with a calloused finger.

"If I needed your help, I would have asked." She said.

"That's a goddamn lie." The old man said in a lazy, calm manner, pouring himself more booze. "Now then, where's Shizune?"

Tsunade didn't want this bastard to help her.

But wants and needs are two very different things.

* * *

After meeting up with their bizarre teacher, the three genin hopefuls knew deep down in their hearts that excitement was moments away. They followed him to the Hokage's Tower, where their trial to become full-fledged ninja was waiting for them. In mere minutes, destiny would play its hand...

Too bad for them, Kakashi made everything last longer. _Everything._

As he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, Sasuke slowly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling antsy about what was going on in the Missions Room. To his immediate right was Sakura, who was sitting on a ridiculously large backpack. And to her right was Naruto, sitting Indian style and leaning against the wall with his forehead protector pulled over his eyes. For all Sasuke knew, Naruto was passed out, but neither he nor Sakura were in any hurry to wake him up. Sasuke glanced towards the door once again, for what seemed like the one-hundredth time since they've been waiting. Since the three youngsters were technically still civilians, they weren't allowed inside. Sasuke still remembers the verbal scolding he received from his father after he tagged along with his older brother to accept a mission.

_'The Hokage's Tower is a place of serious business! Escorted or not, a civilian child does not belong in such affairs. If you're so keen on seeing it, boy, then I suggest you work on your hand signs, sloppy as they are._

After that scolding, Itachi took responsibility and got Sasuke some chocolate covered mints. It was a good memory. A happy memory. A memory that made Sasuke's blood boil and teeth grind against each other in a pained grimace. Looking back on happier times just made things more confusing. How did life turn so rancid, so quickly? Thirteen was too damn young to be nostalgic about the good ol' days.

Sasuke knew he was starting to go down a bad train of thought, but he was having a hard time stopping himself. Of all the people he loved, Itachi was the most caring, the most honest, and the most understanding. He always knew exactly what to get Sasuke for his birthday.

The only gift that Sasuke wanted from his big brother now was a free stab at the neck-

Sasuke was brought out of his unhappy reverie by Sakura calling his name. Snapping his features to a more neutral tone, Sasuke lifted his gazed and saw Sakura and Kakashi staring at him. How long had he been lost in thought? Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, and vowed to keep focused on the matters at hand.

Kakashi held up a document for them to see, a manilla folder was in his hand, instead of the typical scroll that was normally utilized. Sasuke could clearly see the stamp on the folder, ACCEPTED, in bright red lettering.

"Come." Kakashi said, turning away from them. They followed behind him as they left the Tower.

The small hallway was still and quiet...

Five seconds later, Sakura sprinted back in and kicked the still sleeping Naruto in the shin. "WAKE UP!"

"I'M AWAKE, I'M AWAKE!"

* * *

Kakashi swiftly weaved through the morning crowd without bumping into anyone, his head not once leaving the mission document. Typical Kakashi. The crowd paid him no heed.

Right behind him was Sakura, having a tougher time and getting some faces from the crowd as she bumped into everything with her Haruno Survival Kit. A mixture of pity, humor, and disbelief from the crowd made her blush in slight embarrassment.

Behind Team 7's new pack mule (although he didn't have the guts to call her that out loud) was Naruto, still limping slightly from the second most rude awakening of his life. He didn't need to bump into people to solicit a reaction. He was already such a popular guy. A mixture of pity, resentment, and _'you probably earned that limp'_from the crowd didn't faze Naruto for more than five seconds, before he started handing out middle fingers free of charge. What a generous guy.

And bringing up the rear, keeping a respectable distance from his per-determined failure of a team, was Sasuke, who was honestly almost ready to go back to the academy and try again next year. Giving up and cutting his losses with this team was a totally valid option. Unaware that he was thinking such uncool thoughts, each passerby regarded him with a combination of pity, admiration, and calculation. Sasuke might have launched a few hand-signs of his own, but Naruto seemed to have everyone covered.

They felt him move before their eyes processed it. Academy training kicked in and each of the young children felt a spike of chakra and a sudden shift in the wind as Kakashi jumped onto the roof of a small Antic store. He said nothing, still engrossed in the folder he held. The three young ones took this silence as orders to follow. Each of them jumped up, Sasuke, Naruto, and then Sakura leaped up to meet with Kakashi.

Sasuke landed with the heels of his feet barely tipping over the edge of the building. He allowed his knees to bend into a crouch as he hit the roof, so as to absorb the impact from his landing. His forward momentum allowed him to simply stand up and walk without balancing himself.

Naruto's jump lacked grace and form. More akin to rocket than human, the boy's jump overshot both Sasuke and sensei, and he nearly cleared the whole building. It was hard to tell whether it was an effort to outdo Sasuke or a lack of self-control. Like Sasuke, he landed at an edge of the building, but his forward momentum did not aid him here. Naruto spent two seconds windmilling his arms, trying not to fall forwards off the roof. Luckily, his frantic arm motions helped him to land on his rump, his legs hanging off the side.

Lastily, Sakura tightened her straps before taking her leap of faith. Like Sasuke before her she landed with the front halves of her feet hitting the edge. Unfortunately her momentum wasn't quite enough, given the behemoth that was strapped to her back. Copying Naruto from earlier she tried to rotate her arms forward to give her balance. To no avail however, as she felt herself slowly tip backwards, as if in slow motion. She saw Sasuke start to reach for her, but Kakashi's hand reached out and grabbed the Young Uchiha's shoulder. It was then she saw that he was looking at her with a gleam of what she could swear was passing interest. _'He wants a show?'_ Sakura thought. _'Fine.'_

Sakura wasted no time and pooled chakra at the soles of her feet, concentrating most of it in her toes. Naruto and Sasuke watched in shock as Sakura's form disappeared beneath the roof. Except her feet. Her sandals were still seemingly glued to where they landed, her body bending over the roof at her knees. "No freakin' way!" Naruto shouted as he rushed over to look at how she was doing that. Soon as he peeked over the edge, he got a smack in the face. Fumbling backwards, he caught what hit him and looked in his arms to see he was holding Sakura's backpack. He peeked over the top of the massive thing just in time to see Sakura straighten up her knees and come to her full height on the roof, standing there casually as if she hadn't _just made physics her bitch._

Sasuke did not want to be the one to ask...but it had to be asked...

"The fuck you just do?" Naruto's tone was awestruck.

'_Thanks Uzumaki' _Sasuke said to himself, glad he was able to keep his composed image.

Kakashi's lazy drawl stopped Sakura from opening her mouth to explain. "No time for that. Let's keep going." His gaze seemed to size her up once more, before turning and beginning to hop between roofs, heading towards the West Gate. Sasuke's gaze lingered a moment longer before he turned to do the same.

Sakura started towards Naruto to retrieve her pack, but took on a look of surprise as he put it on himself. It looked even more comical on Naruto, being the shortest out of all of them. Smiling that mischievous grin of his, Naruto turned to follow Sasuke and Kakashi. Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't really find a good argument. Her shoulders were killing her, and she was still feeling the burn from that burst of chakra. A ghost of a smile graced her lips as she followed behind Naruto's unsteady jumps a little closer that she might have before, as if ready to catch him should he fall.

* * *

"So an old debt collector of yours is spotted around these parts." Jiraiya repeated Tsunade's explanation once more as they exited the restaurant.

"Yes." She confirmed, shading her eyes with her arm as she adjusted to the harsh sunlight.

"Then you and Shizune get into a lover's spat-" Jiraiya started...

"Oh grow up." Tsunade interrupted, elbowing him in the ribs.

"-over something or other. And she storms off." Jiraiya finished, resolved to heckle her despite the possibility of physical pain.

"It's more complex than that, but yeah, basically." She confirmed once more.

"And this debt collector of yours is very desperate to get his cash." Jiraiya rubbed his side, making sure she didn't leave a bruise

"I know what you're thinking," She responded, "but this guy isn't stupid or skilled enough to take on Shizune."

"I don't doubt it, but who does their own dirty work in this day and age?" The old hermit shot back.

She didn't like where this was going, and she made that very clear. "Crap. What did you hear, Jiraiya?"

"Rumor is that a certain missing-nin is scouring these parts and selling himself for any job."

"Give me a name already!"

"Perp's a traitor to Suna. Name's Takahiro. Supposedly he was an underling of Sasori of the Red Sands."

"Well, that might do the trick." She responded. As soon as the words left her lips, they both felt a huge spike of energies go off in the forest on the outskirts of town.

"It might have already done the trick. We gotta hurry." Jiraiya said.

They ran in the direction of the disturbance.

The fluctuating chakras were almost like beacons, opening acts for the violence that was soon to come.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Didn't take long for me to write this up. Took forever for me to feel like doing it though. Sorry about that.

Inspiration just hits me when it wants to. Hopefully some of you still have a little interest left in this story.

Next chapters gonna have a fight scene. God I hope I don't suck at writing those. Let's find that out together, shall we?

Writing another story for Adventure Time, and it makes this story look serious by comparison. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T READ IT!

Reverse Psychology for the win.

Also, you guys think I should bump this thing up to M? I can't control Tsunade and Naruto's tongues for the life of me.


End file.
